Unmanned Air Vehicles

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many crashes there have been with the Elbit Systems Hermes 450 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in (a) the UK and (b) Afghanistan;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the training provided to those who fly the Elbit Systems Hermes 450 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. [Official Report, 24 January 2013, Vol. 557, c. 1MC.]

Andrew Robathan: The Hermes 450 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is not flown in the UK nor have there been any crashes in the UK.
	Since 2007 there have been 11 Hermes 450 crashes in Afghanistan.
	An end-to-end review for army unmanned aerial systems training has recently been conducted which reported at the end of September 2012. As a result, several changes have already been made to unmanned aerial systems training to increase airmanship standards in a number of areas, with further improvements to follow.

Food: Prices

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in food prices on families.

David Heath: DEFRA actively monitors retail food prices and impacts on household expenditure through its Family Food Survey. We know that some households are seeing the amount they spend on food increase, and there is evidence .some low income households are trading down on certain products.
	It is not Government's role to set retail food prices. Government provides safety nets through welfare to support those on low incomes and out of work. The Government also provides a number of schemes to help the most vulnerable in society afford and have access to nutritious food, such as the Healthy Start scheme.
	We work internationally to promote transparency, open global markets and a competitive domestic market to help producers and retailers offer the best prices to consumers.

Commission On Childcare

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which Minister in his Department has responsibility for the work of the Commission on Childcare; and by what date the Commission is expected to report.

Elizabeth Truss: As Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Childcare, I lead on the Commission on childcare in the Department for Education. The Commission on childcare is led jointly by the DFE and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The Minister for Pensions, the hon. Member for Thornbury and Yate (Steve Webb), is the lead Minister at the DWP.
	The Commission will report this autumn.

Domestic Violence

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what training is available to teachers to (a) improve their awareness and understanding of domestic violence and (b) help them recognise signs of domestic violence in children.

Edward Timpson: All teachers are required to satisfy the Teachers' Standards, which include “having regard for the need to safeguard pupils' well-being, in accordance with statutory provisions”. The Government believes that head teachers are best placed to make the right decisions on training and continuing professional development for all school staff. Individual schools know best how to address safeguarding issues affecting their pupils, and we would expect them to provide appropriate pastoral support for children who are witnessing domestic violence.

Further Education

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of pupils in (a) Ashfield, (b) Nottinghamshire, (c) the East Midlands and (d) England and Wales stayed on in education after 16 in each of the last five years.

David Laws: Data on participation in education post-16 is published in a Department for Education (DFE) Statistical First Release (SFR) entitled "Participation in Education. Training and Employment by 16-18 Year Olds in England". The latest data on participation at local authority level relates to a snapshot at the end of 2010 (and so partway through the 2010/11 academic year).
	Table 1 shows the proportion of young people of academic age 16 in education and work-based learning for end 2006-10 in Nottinghamshire, the East Midlands and England. This data is not available for parliamentary constituencies or for England and Wales.
	
		
			 Table 1: Participation in education and work-based learning for young people of academic age 16 in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands and England, end 2006-10 
			  Percentage of cohort 
			  End 2006 End 2007 End 2008 End 2009 End 2010 
			 Nottinghamshire 82 84 86 88 89 
			 East Midlands 83 85 89 91 94 
			 England 87 88 91 94 96 
			 Notes: 1. The definition of education and work-based learning includes young people enrolled in either full or part-time education in either state or independent schools, General FE, tertiary or specialist colleges, sixth form colleges, higher education institutions or taking part in work based learning (almost exclusively apprenticeships by 2010). 2. Academic age 16 is the cohort of young people in their first year post-compulsory schooling.

Bumi

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on Bumi plc.

Michael Fallon: holding answer 19 October 2012
	The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has not received any representations in relation to Bumi plc.

Business: Loans

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the Business Finance Taskforce pledge of October 2010, what recent assessment his Department has made of the progress by banks on signposting alternative sources of finance if a loan is declined.

Michael Fallon: The most recent SME Finance Monitor published in September showed that 13% of those SMEs initially declined an overdraft and 9% of those declined a loan said that the bank had not offered them any alternative form of funding to the declined loan, or suggested any alternative sources of external finance. However, the BBA has put in place a free website:
	www.businessfinanceforyou.co.uk
	which includes alternative sources of finance to assist SMEs in finding alternatives.
	Under the taskforce, major banks have also established a pilot scheme for formally referring applicants to Community Development Finance Institutions, where this is appropriate for the business. This scheme was piloted in September, and will be rolled out nationally in due course.
	I met with Anthony Browne of the British Bankers Association earlier this month to emphasise the importance the Government attaches to progress on these issues.

Business: Loans

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the Business Finance Taskforce pledge of October 2010, what recent assessment his Department has made of the progress by the banks on establishing a transparent appeals process for when loan applications are declined.

Michael Fallon: The first annual report of the independent appeals process was published by Russel Griggs on 31 May of this year at:
	http://www.betterbusinessfinance.co.uk/
	His report showed that an appeal resulted in an overturned decision and a better outcome for the applicant in 40% of cases, although few businesses were aware of the process. The report included details of ways in which the banks are improving their processes to improve outcomes for loan applicants.
	More recently, the SME Finance Monitor published in September showed that only 12% of SMEs are aware of the process. Russel Griggs as independent reviewer continues to engage with the banks to ensure that the necessary training and resources are in place, such as improved decline letters, to ensure SMEs are aware of the process.
	I met with Anthony Browne of the British Bankers Association earlier this month to emphasise the importance the Government attaches to progress on these issues.

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the number of businesses that may relocate to Estonia or Romania as a result of the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Jo Swinson: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has no plans to make such estimates.

Students: Loans

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) representations he has received on and (b) progress he has made towards developing a Sharia-compliant model for loans to finance university fees and living expenses.

David Willetts: The Government has received representations from student representative bodies regarding this issue, including the National Union of Students and Federation of Student Islamic Societies. In addition, we have received representations from Members of Parliament on behalf of their constituents, and from several universities. The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), was also asked about alternative finance during an event with Muslim News.
	The Government is clear that it wants a single student loan system which can meet the needs of the majority of students where possible.
	The Government has identified an alternative Shariah compliant system that uses a Murabaha which could provide a student with the same level of financial support and produce identical repayments as conventional student loans. However, major issues, such as the need for primary legislation and the treatment of VAT and tax, will need to be overcome which will take time.
	We are also looking at whether there are other finance mechanisms that may overcome some of the issues and be easier to implement while still being Shariah compliant and matching the conventional system.

Temporary Employment

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights with UK law relating to agency workers; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Swinson: Following the UN endorsement of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in June 2011, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the right hon. Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has been developing a UK strategy on business and human rights. The strategy, which he expects to launch shortly, will explain how the Government is meeting the state duty to protect the human rights of individuals within the United Kingdom through a mix of legislation, policies and regulations, including the agency workers regulations.
	The Government is committed to the protection of human rights and to complying with our obligations under the various international conventions to which the UK is a party.

Newspaper Licensing Agency

Ian Murray: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost was of Newspaper Licensing Agency licences for web content to the Government, by department, for each year since 2010.

Chloe Smith: This information is not collated centrally. Each Government Department and agency is responsible for ensuring they hold the appropriate Newspaper Licensing Agency licence.

Private Education: Charities

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many independent schools in England have charitable status.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission, have asked the Commission's chief executive to reply.
	Letter from Sam Younger CBE, dated 23 October 2012
	.
	‘Independent school’ is not a formal classification for charity law or registration purposes, so the Charity Commission cannot easily identify or provide an exact figure for independent schools in England that are registered charities. Schools fall within the charitable purpose of advancing education. Over 84,000 registered charities in England and Wales are classified as advancing education, but only a few of these will be independent schools.
	In addition, the Department for Education's academies programme has so far created over 2,300 new, publicly funded independent schools. The charities that run these schools, Academy Trusts, are exempt from registration and regulation by the Commission; DfE is their principal regulator for the purpose of charity law. Some Academy Trusts run more than one school, so the number of charities is less than the number of schools.

Children: Maintenance

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many non-resident parents with a current child support assessment there are who have exempt earnings arising from work as (a) an auxiliary coastguard, (b) a part-time firefighter, (c) a part-time lifeboat crew member, (d) a reserve or territorial force member or (e) a local authority councillor; and what estimate he has made of the potential likely increase in their child maintenance liability were the proposed child maintenance calculation regulations to apply to their case.

Steve Webb: Management information on cases where an exemption is in place is only available on the computer system that supports the 2003 scheme in the form of an exemption indicator. To assure and provide a breakdown of this data as requested would involve looking at individual cases on the live CS2 system and would be at a disproportionate cost. Information is not available for cases on the computer system that supports the 1993 scheme or for those cases managed off system (commonly referred to as 'clerical' cases).
	The following information has therefore been provided by looking at where an ‘exemption indicator’ is present within the management information for the 2003 scheme only.
	As of June 2012, there were 92,620 cases where the non-resident parent had an assessment and an exemption indicator for occupations defined as part-time fire-fighter, lifeboat crew member, member of the territorial or reserved forces, councillor or auxiliary coastguard. Included, however, in this number are cases where the non-resident parent has an exemption indicator but the occupation is either missing or defined as 'other' and so may not fall within the categories outlined above.
	To estimate any potential change in the child maintenance liability would involve looking at the individual cases on the system, which would be at a disproportionate cost.

Pensioners: Poverty

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to reduce poverty among pensioners in Glasgow North West constituency.

Steve Webb: The Government wants all pensioners to have a decent and secure income in retirement. We have restored the earnings link for the basic state pension and given a triple guarantee that the basic state pension will increase by the highest of the growth in average earnings, price increases (as measured by the consumer prices index) or 2.5%. This measure will mean that the average person retiring on a full state pension in 2012 can expect to receive around an additional £15,000 in basic state pension over their retirement than under the old system.
	We are protecting support for older people such as: winter fuel payments; free bus passes; free television licences for those aged 75 and over; free eye tests and free NHS prescription charges as well as making permanent the increase to cold weather payments from £8.50 to £25.
	The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his Budget, on 21 March 2012, that the Government will reform the state pensions system to introduce a single tier pension for future pensioners. These reforms will usher in a simpler and fairer system that reduces the need for means testing and rewards saving. The Government will publish further information about the proposed reforms in a White Paper later this autumn.

Social Fund

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications were made for Social Fund (a) community care grants and (b) crisis loans in each month since April 2010.

Mark Hoban: Table 1 provides the total number of applications made to the Social Fund for Crisis Loans and Community Care Grants in each month since April 2010.
	
		
			 Table 1: Total number of applications for Crisis Loans and Community Care Grants made in each month since April 2010 
			  Crisis loans Community care grants 
			 April 2010 296,100 54,000 
			 May 2010 269,200 55,000 
			 June 2010 300,600 51,600 
			 July 2010 292,600 51,100 
			 August 2010 283,900 47,800 
			 September 2010 299,500 53,200 
			 October 2010 268,000 53,300 
			 November 2010 278,700 58,200 
			 December 2010 240,800 36,900 
			 January 2011 302,500 41,200 
			 February 2011 288,400 49,300 
			 March 2011 301,100 61,300 
			 April 2011 208,000 41,800 
			 May 2011 240,700 51,800 
			 June 2011 230,800 50,500 
			 July 2011 220,800 52,400 
			 August 2011 221,300 47,000 
			 September 2011 221,700 50,200 
		
	
	
		
			 October 2011 197,400 49,400 
			 November 2011 196,400 56,100 
			 December 2011 170,600 40,500 
			 January 2012 233,000 45,900 
			 February 2012 222,300 51,200 
			 March 2012 222,800 51,400 
			 April 2012 189,000 46,200 
			 May 2012 210,700 49,500 
			 June 2012 192,600 42,100 
			 July 2012 213,500 47,300 
			 August 2012 205,600 43,500 
			 September 2012 190,900 42,200 
			 Notes: 1. The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National statistics and there are some issues with the data, for example, it does not include applications which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the Social Fund Computer System. 2. The figures relate to applications, not people. Individuals can apply for and receive more than one Social Fund Loan in any given year. 3. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. Source: Department for Work and Pensions Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System

Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the right of citizens of the EU and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of EU Member states; 
	(1)  what his policy is on the provision of social assistance to nationals of EU member States when such nationals have resided in the UK for less than three months;
	(2)  what his policy is on the provision of social assistance to nationals of EU member states; and when such nationals are resident in the UK on the basis of Article 14(4)(b) of the Directive.

Mark Hoban: All European economic area [EEA] nationals have, under Directive 2004/38/EC, a right to reside in another member state for an initial period of three months, without the requirement to be self sufficient. Individuals with this right to reside would not meet the first requirement of the habitual residence test and would not usually have access to social assistance such as income related jobseeker's allowance, income-based employment and support allowance, income support, state pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit.
	If during or after this period an EEA national can demonstrate that they are a ‘qualified person’ they would continue to have a right to reside.
	The Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006 transpose this into UK law and define a qualified person as someone who is a self-sufficient person or a student; a worker or a self-employed person; or a job seeker.
	EEA nationals (and their family members) who are economically inactive, such as students and persons who are not in work or seeking employment, are required to be self-sufficient and have comprehensive medical insurance. They therefore cannot access social assistance such as income related jobseeker's allowance, income-based employment and support allowance, income support, state pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit.
	EEA nationals (and their family members) who demonstrate that they have and retain worker status or who are self-employed have a right to reside which allows them access to social assistance such as income related jobseeker's allowances income-based employment and support allowance, income support, state pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit.
	EEA nationals (and their family members) who are work seekers have a right to reside (under Article 14(4) (b) of the Directive) which allows access to some social assistance but is limited to income related jobseeker's allowance and in some circumstances housing benefit and council tax benefit, but would not be eligible for other social assistance such as income-based employment and support allowance, income support and state pension credit.

Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received from the European Commission on compliance with obligations to provide benefits to nationals of other EU countries in the UK under Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the coordination of social security systems.

Mark Hoban: On 29 September 2011 the Government received a communication from the European Commission in the form of a Reasoned Opinion in which the Commission states that the application of the ‘Right to Reside Test’ to claims for certain residence-based non-contributory benefits constitutes an unjustified discrimination prohibited by the EU regulations on social security co-ordination.
	The Government responded in November 2011 and we have not had any further representation from the Commission on this issue since then.
	We have a legal duty to provide support to people who come to this country, in line with our national and international obligations. It is also necessary to protect the taxpayer and the benefit system from possible abuse. It is unacceptable that we should be asked to open our welfare system to people who have never worked or contributed in the United Kingdom and have no intention of doing so.
	We need to make sure that the rules which apply when people from outside the UK come here do not allow people to take inappropriate advantage of our benefit system and the Government is committed to ensuring that the rules governing the payment of benefits to people from abroad are kept under review.

Social Security Benefits: Young People

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged (a) 19, (b) 20 and (c) 21 years were in receipt of (i) jobseeker's allowance, (ii) housing benefit and (iii) both jobseeker's allowance and housing benefit in (A) Ashfield constituency, (B) Nottinghamshire, (C) the East Midlands and (D) England and Wales in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is provided in the following table:
	
		
			 Jobseekers allowance claimants in Ashfield parliamentary constituency, Nottinghamshire, the east midlands, England and Wales by age: February 2012 
			 JSA claimants 
			  England Wales The east midlands Nottinghamshire Ashfield parliamentary constituency 
			 Total of all claimants 1,356,640 83,210 114,390 17,980 2,910 
			 Age      
			 19 67,660 4,990 6,400 1,100 210 
			 20 68,480 4,720 6,150 1,070 180 
			 21 62,360 4,420 5,530 930 150 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures include “credit” only cases. Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 
		
	
	The number of recipients who claim housing benefit (HB) and jobseekers allowance (JSA) and housing benefit (HB) together is not available.

Universal Credit

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to introduce local offices to assist universal credit claimants in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside and (c) the North East; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: There are no plans to open additional offices to assist universal credit claimants. Claimants will be able to make their universal credit claims on line and will be able to access assistance by telephone. Local arrangements may be put in place with other organisations, such as local authorities, to provide universal credit claimants with advice and assistance. A face to face service will be available in Jobcentres, as now, to support people in their jobsearch and for vulnerable claimants.

Unsecured Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will consider reinstating the option of higher income drawdown capacity for people whose income is likely to reduce by 40 per cent under the drawdown limits introduced in April 2011.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Treasury.
	The Government continually keeps all aspects of its policies under review and is committed to maintaining flexibility for those with drawdown arrangements.

Vacancies

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to promote vacancies in the care sector to those on Jobseeker's Allowance.

Mark Hoban: As a condition of entitlement to jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claimants enter into a jobseeker's agreement in which they agree the steps they will take to improve their chances of finding work.
	As part of this discussion advisers discuss and promote suitable occupations, relevant vacancies and apprenticeships, including those in the care sector, to those claimants who have the necessary skills, experience and qualifications to work in this sector.
	The Department takes vacancies from employers within the care sector which are displayed on its vacancy site, Jobs and Skills, which is accessed through gov.co.uk. These vacancies are accessible to all jobseekers, including those claiming JSA.
	Where the local labour market supports this and the local care employers are receptive to using this approach for filling their vacancies, Jobcentre Plus districts have also utilised the sector-based work academy initiative to develop a tailored package of support for JSA claimants to move into jobs within the care sector. Sector-based work academies consist of a short period of pre-employment training, a work experience placement and a guaranteed job interview.

Work Capability Assessment

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2012, Official Report, column 1098W, on work capability assessment: appeals, how many people found fit for work under the work capability assessment have subsequently died within (a) three, (b) six and (c) 12 months of the assessment decision in (i) Scotland and (ii) the UK.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is not available.
	Data on the number of ESA claimants that have died following a Fit for Work decision are not available, as the Department does not hold information on a death if the person has already left benefit.

Work Capability Assessment

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of people in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency who have died within (a) three, (b) six and (c) 12 months of being found fit for work under the work capability assessment.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is not available.
	Data on the number of ESA claimants that have died following a fit for work decision is not available, as the Department does not hold information on a death if the person has already left benefit.

Work Programme

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of those leaving custody who have participated in the Work programme on release have (a) gained employment and (b) enrolled in education or training since its inception.

Mark Hoban: The data requested is not available. Official statistics on job outcomes are expected to be available from autumn 2012.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the financial health of Work programme providers.

Mark Hoban: DWP have an ongoing process of monitoring the financial viability and risk of suppliers post contract award. This is undertaken on a basis of materiality and criticality and involves the review of a number of sources of financial and commercial intelligence. Suppliers are assessed and rated according to perceived risk which determines the nature of follow up action required. As a minimum, each supplier is reviewed on an annual basis.
	All Work programme suppliers are included in this monitoring process and are prioritised due to their critical status.